The Trail Blazers’ playoff hopes could be in the hands of their athletic wing play
The Trail Blazers will be looking to exploit the Clippers suddenly shallow depth in game five. Injuries have wrecked Doc Rivers’ rotation, so it will limit his ability to throw different lineups at Portland. These circumstances have the table set for Maurice Harkless to make an even bigger impact in the round one series. Harkless has the size, speed, and defensive ability to match up with almost anyone on the court. This ability will now be focused on the remaining offensive threats for the Clippers.
Harkless made his way into the starting rotation on the heels of injuries to both Meyers Leonard and Noah Vonleh. Since joining the starters, he has been a thorn in the side of opposing coaches. He is a one man fast break, he can shoot from deep (.375 3P% in the final month of the regular season), and he can guard multiple positions.
All he needed was adequate time on the court. Once his minutes increased, so did his numbers. Harkless’ playoff numbers have continued this trend, as his 10.8 PPG in the postseason is well above his 6.4 PPG numbers in the regular season. His rebounding average has jumped from 3.6 RPG in the regular season to 6.5 RPG against the Clippers. Harkless’ steal and block numbers have also seen a modest gain in the postseason, as his SPG and BPG numbers both sit just below one a game (0.8 each).
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Harkless has been tasked with guarding basically everyone on the Clippers roster except for DeAndre Jordan. He has struggled at times guarding Blake Griffin, as his size and aggressiveness landed Harkless in early foul trouble in game one. Chris Paul was a nightmare on the offensive end at times, but Harkless was able to slow him down for stretches with his length. Both Griffin and Paul won’t be suiting up for the rest of the series, so Terry Stotts can now focus his defensive game plan on the remaining role players.
Jamal Crawford is able to score points in bunches and he will likely be the main offensive catalyst for the injury riddled Clippers. Don’t be surprised if Harkless is assigned with stopping those outbursts before they gain traction. Crawford makes his living shooting mid-range shots, so a taller defender should be effective against him.
Getting a fast start on the offensive end will be crucial for the Trail Blazers tonight. The last thing they want to do is give a beaten down team life again. One way to get out in front early is by getting out on the fast break. Harkless has used his ability to create turnovers to his advantage in transition. The Clippers will be forced to use a rotation that is unfamiliar with each other, which is a prime breeding ground for sloppy play. A few crowd silencing dunks could go a long way for Portland early.
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Harkless’ rise to difference maker in the playoffs is truly remarkable. Safe money is on Orlando wanting a mulligan on the trade that sent him to Portland for next to nothing.